FM Expects Afghan Leadership To Workout Well Negotiated Political Settlement

Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Saturday reiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and expressed hope that Afghan leadership would realize the importance of the occasion and workout a negotiated political settlement

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jun, 2021 ) :Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Saturday reiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and expressed hope that Afghan leadership would realize the importance of the occasion and workout a negotiated political settlement.

During a meeting with Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Hanif Atmar on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), in Turkey, the foreign minister said that peace in Afghanistan would bring stability, economic prosperity and regional connectivity.

Views were exchanged on issues of mutual interest, including Afghan peace process, bilateral trade and economic relations, Foreign Office spokesperson said in a press release.

Underlining that close coordination was essential to further advance the bilateral relations and Afghan peace process, the foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan's consistent policy towards Afghanistan to strengthen bilateral relations in all areas and achieve a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

Qureshi also underlined the need to engage through agreed diplomatic channels instead of public blame game, which only served to vitiate the environment and strengthens the hand of spoilers.

The foreign minister reaffirmed the importance of utilizing the relevant forums including Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) to address all bilateral issues.

Highlighting the importance of border sustenance markets, the foreign minister remarked that the project would contribute to the economic uplift of people living in border areas of the two countries.

He urged the Afghan side to expedite its early finalization.

Foreign minister Qureshi reiterated his invitation to Foreign Minister Atmar for a bilateral visit to Pakistan.

Separately, foreign minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi also met with Head of Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan Salahuddin Rabbani on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF).

Recalling the visit of Rabbani in September 2019 for the Third China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Foreign Minister's Dialogue, the foreign minister highlighted the importance of continued engagement at all levels between the two countries.

He also underscored that Pakistan attached importance to all ethnic and political groups in Afghanistan. The Tajik community had been an important part of Afghanistan's social and political fabric, he added. Qureshi underlined Pakistan's policy of strengthening across the broad engagement with Afghan political leadership and making concerted efforts to help Afghans reach a negotiated political settlement.